Karl Marx (1818-1883) was probably the most influential social thinker of the 19th century. He is commonly known for creating communism. However, hardly anyone paid attention to his political and economic ideas, which were meant to improve society. Unfortunately for him, his ideas and beliefs didn't spread until after his death.
Biography
Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818, in Trier, Prussia. His parents were initially Jewish, but in order to have more rights they converted to Lutheranism just before Karl's birth. At age seventeen he enrolled in Faculty of Law in the University of Bonn. While attending the university he got engaged to Jenny von Westphalen, the daughter of a prominent man in Trier society. The next year Marx went to the University of Berlin, changed his studies from law to philosophy, and became a member of the Young Hegelian movement. This group, including Bruno Bauer and David Friedrich Strauss, produced a radical version of Christianity which opposed the Prussian autocracy. Marx moved into journalism and became an editor of Rheinesche Zeitung, a paper that was strongly backed by industrialists, in Cologne. Due to Marx's radical ideas, the Prussian government closed the paper. He then immigrated to France.
In 1843 Karl Marx moved to Paris. In Paris he quickly met up with French socialists. Within a few months, Karl Marx became a communist and wrote out his views in a series of writtings known as the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts. In these Marx outlined a humanist conception of communism based on a contrast between the alienated nature of labor under capitalism and a communist society in which human beings freely developed their nature in cooperative production. It was in Paris that Marx developed his lifelong friendship with Friedrich Engels (1820-1895). In 1844, Marx was expelled from Paris and, with Engels, moved to Brussels.
In Brussels, Marx wrote The German Ideology and joined the Communist League, headquartered in London. In the Communist League, Marx and Engles became the major theoreticians and were commissioned to write a declaration of their position, The Communist Manifesto. While living in England, Marx wrote an 800 page manuscript on capital, landed property, wage labor, the state, foreign trade and the world market called the Grundrisse in 1857. However, this was not published until 1941. Four years later, the Paris Commune of 1871 occurred. On the bloody suppression of the rebellion, Marx wrote one of his most famous pamphlets, The Civil War in France, a defense of the Commune. Marx then moved to London and lived in a three room flat with his wife and four children. He initialy had six children but two died during childhood. During the later years of his life, Marx's health declined rapidly. Due to these health problems and the death of his wife and oldest daughter, he lacked the effort to continue writing. Karl Marx died on March 14, 1883. He lived to be 65.He had six children, only three of which survived childhood. Karl Marx lies buried in London.
Philosophy
Karl Marx was a historical materialist. He believed that it was the material factors in society which determined the way we think, and that the material changes are the ones that affect history. He also believed that material change creates new spiritual relations, not the other way around. Marx classified material, economic, and social relations as the basis of society. The society's superstructure is the way the society thinks, which laws it has, and the arts, philosophies, morals, religions, and sciences in the society. He claimed that a true society cannot have a superstructure without a basis.
Marx saw that throughout history there have been class struggles. During his time, it was between the capitalists and the workers (capitalism was different then than it is now). He thought that the only way change could happen was through revolution, due to the fact that the upper class usually doesn't give up power. This is why Marx became interested in communism. If there was no upper class, then everyone would be equals and no one would be oppressed. Unfortunately, that idea only works as an idea. Once it is instated in a country, it works for a while. But then the power-hungry turn it upside down. However, some good has come out of a few Marx's ideas. His ideas for equality have helped improve some governments and capitalism in western Europe, making them more recognizable than the governments and capitalism in Marx's day.
Major Works
Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts
The Communist Manifesto
The German Ideology
The Cicil War in France
Quotes
“Religion is the impotence of the human mind to deal with occurrences it cannot understand”
“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need”
“The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: Abolish all private property”
“Democracy is the road to socialism.”
Interesting Facts
Karl Marx had delicate toes due to an inability to grow toenails.
He had a serious skin infection - agonizing pimples all over his face and other parts, which is why he could not stand shaving or even much trimming of hair and beard. Hence his famous appearance, and (when the pain got too intense) his equally famous outbursts of evil temper.
Karl Marx
Introduction
Karl Marx (1818-1883) was probably the most influential social thinker of the 19th century. He is commonly known for creating communism. However, hardly anyone paid attention to his political and economic ideas, which were meant to improve society. Unfortunately for him, his ideas and beliefs didn't spread until after his death.
Biography
Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818, in Trier, Prussia. His parents were initially Jewish, but in order to have more rights they converted to Lutheranism just before Karl's birth. At age seventeen he enrolled in Faculty of Law in the University of Bonn. While attending the university he got engaged to Jenny von Westphalen, the daughter of a prominent man in Trier society. The next year Marx went to the University of Berlin, changed his studies from law to philosophy, and became a member of the Young Hegelian movement. This group, including Bruno Bauer and David Friedrich Strauss, produced a radical version of Christianity which opposed the Prussian autocracy. Marx moved into journalism and became an editor of Rheinesche Zeitung, a paper that was strongly backed by industrialists, in Cologne. Due to Marx's radical ideas, the Prussian government closed the paper. He then immigrated to France.
In 1843 Karl Marx moved to Paris. In Paris he quickly met up with French socialists. Within a few months, Karl Marx became a communist and wrote out his views in a series of writtings known as the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts. In these Marx outlined a humanist conception of communism based on a contrast between the alienated nature of labor under capitalism and a communist society in which human beings freely developed their nature in cooperative production. It was in Paris that Marx developed his lifelong friendship with Friedrich Engels (1820-1895). In 1844, Marx was expelled from Paris and, with Engels, moved to Brussels.
In Brussels, Marx wrote The German Ideology and joined the Communist League, headquartered in London. In the Communist League, Marx and Engles became the major theoreticians and were commissioned to write a declaration of their position, The Communist Manifesto. While living in England, Marx wrote an 800 page manuscript on capital, landed property, wage labor, the state, foreign trade and the world market called the Grundrisse in 1857. However, this was not published until 1941. Four years later, the Paris Commune of 1871 occurred. On the bloody suppression of the rebellion, Marx wrote one of his most famous pamphlets, The Civil War in France, a defense of the Commune. Marx then moved to London and lived in a three room flat with his wife and four children. He initialy had six children but two died during childhood. During the later years of his life, Marx's health declined rapidly. Due to these health problems and the death of his wife and oldest daughter, he lacked the effort to continue writing. Karl Marx died on March 14, 1883. He lived to be 65.He had six children, only three of which survived childhood. Karl Marx lies buried in London.
Philosophy
Karl Marx was a historical materialist. He believed that it was the material factors in society which determined the way we think, and that the material changes are the ones that affect history. He also believed that material change creates new spiritual relations, not the other way around. Marx classified material, economic, and social relations as the basis of society. The society's superstructure is the way the society thinks, which laws it has, and the arts, philosophies, morals, religions, and sciences in the society. He claimed that a true society cannot have a superstructure without a basis.
Marx saw that throughout history there have been class struggles. During his time, it was between the capitalists and the workers (capitalism was different then than it is now). He thought that the only way change could happen was through revolution, due to the fact that the upper class usually doesn't give up power. This is why Marx became interested in communism. If there was no upper class, then everyone would be equals and no one would be oppressed. Unfortunately, that idea only works as an idea. Once it is instated in a country, it works for a while. But then the power-hungry turn it upside down. However, some good has come out of a few Marx's ideas. His ideas for equality have helped improve some governments and capitalism in western Europe, making them more recognizable than the governments and capitalism in Marx's day.
Major Works
Quotes
Interesting Facts
Bibliography